The Throwdown Top 10: Best Entrances
In honor of Jason 'Mayhem' Miller and 'King Mo' Muhammed Lawal fighting at Strikeforce: Nashville this Saturday, we at Boston Throwdown have decided to compile a list of some of our favorite MMA walkouts. Since PRIDE folded a couple of years ago, MMA walkouts and entrances have fallen by the wayside and have become less WWE and more like traditional boxing. Nonetheless, go on YouTube or purchase any old PRIDE DVD and you're sure to find pure entertainment before the matches even start.
So without further ado, here is our list:
10.) Fedor Emelianenko
He gets docked points for tripping at the very beginning of his walkout, but make no mistake…'The Last Emperor' walks to the ring as judge, jury, and executioner. Pure intimidation at its finest.
9.) Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson
Whether it's the howling, the chain around his neck, or the mean muggin', 'Rampage' is one of the most intimidating men in the world before he even steps foot in the cage. Bonus points for the startled look the left security guard gives at 1:22.
8.) Kazushi Sakuraba
You have to skip ahead to 4:45 for this one, but all you really need to know is that Sakuraba dons a red hat, fake moustache, and walks to the ring to the tune of Super Mario. Kevin Randleman didn't stand a chance.
7.) Tito Ortiz
Back in the day, the UFC had no problem spending money on elaborate stages, fireworks, and smoke machines for their entrances. This entrance by Tito Ortiz demonstrates that to its fullest, as you half expect The Undertaker (American Bad Ass era of course) to walk out.
6.) Anderson Silva
I'm sure Dana White misses this version of Anderson Silva, who used to demonstrate his showmanship before his matches instead of during, in this instance donning a full-on Michael Jackson outfit and walking to the ring while dancing to "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough." No one loves this entrance more than Wanderlei Silva, as he can be seen geeking out in the background.
5.) 'King Mo' Muhammed Lawal
Already a showman and he's barely into his career, 'King Mo' struts to the ring wearing a crown and robe followed by a bevel of beauties all to the tune of his own theme song. It'll be interesting to see what he does when he makes his broadcast TV debut this Saturday.
4.) Akihiro Gono
Props to Gono for getting his whole crew involved. You don't expect that sort of choreography out of an MMA camp. Whats up with the guy on the left though? Letting the team down by being a split second off…get with it bro.
3.) Jason 'Mayhem' Miller
My personal favorite on the list, no one has more fun with MMA than Jason 'Mayhem' Miller. He is as marketable a fighter as there is in MMA, and there is no doubt that his commercial appeal is why he got signed up for the main card at Strikeforce: Nashville. He is sure to have something special planned for this Saturday.
2.) Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlei Silva ruled over the light heavyweight division for years, and this entrance became as much apart of his legend as his brutal knockouts. When his music came on, you felt like you were watching an event every time. Between the crescendo as he rises from the stage, his 360 spin move in the cage, and his pre-fight wrist rolling, Wanderlei's walkouts were legendary.
1.) Genki Sudo
The king of the elaborate walkout, Genki Sudo has become a god in Japan for his flashy entrances. From dressing up as Rick 'Wild Thing Vaughn' from Major League or as Buckethead with a gas tank attached to his back, words fail to accurately describe Sudo's entrances. Sometimes he dresses up as an alien or robot, and sometimes he would have 30 other people participating in an elaborate dance number. You never knew what you were going to get when Genki Sudo was on your card.
Honorable Mentions:
Andrei Arlovski and his glass chin are onward to victory
Clay Guida freaking loves The Used
Kenny Florian's turning Japanese
Follow Smitty and the rest of the Boston Throwdown crew at www.BostonThrowdown.com and www.twitter.com/BostonThrowdown.
